page_title: Sarcosphaera
section_title: Similar species
hierarchical_section_title: Sarcosphaera / Description / Similar species
caption_attribution_description: English: The cup fungus Sarcosphaera coronaria (Jacq.) J. Schröt. Specimen photographed in Evergreen Rd, California, USA.
context_page_description: Sarcosphaera is a fungal genus within the Pezizaceae family. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Sarcosphaera coronaria, commonly known as the pink crown, the violet crown-cup, or the violet star cup. It is a whitish or grayish cup fungus, distinguished by the manner in which the cup splits into lobes from the top downward. It is commonly found in the mountains in coniferous woods under humus on the forest floor, and often appears after the snow melts in late spring and early summer. The fungus is widespread, and has been collected in Europe, Israel and the Asian part of Turkey, North Africa, and North America. In Europe, it is considered a threatened species in 14 countries. Although several taxa have been described as Sarcosphaera species since the introduction of the genus in 1869, most lack modern descriptions, have been transferred to the related genus Peziza, or are considered synonymous with S. coronaria.
  The fruit body, typically found partially buried in soil, is initially like a fleshy hollow ball, and may be mistaken for a puffball.
context_section_description: Immature, unopened fruit bodies can be mistaken for truffles, but are distinguished by their hollow interior. Mature specimens somewhat resemble the "earthstar scleroderma" (Scleroderma polyrhizum), but this yellowish-brown species does not have the purple coloration of Sarcosphaera coronaria. Peziza ammophila (formerly classified in the genus Sarcosphaera) has an exterior surface that is colored brown to dark brown, and when young it is cup-shaped. Neournula puchettii also has a pinkish-colored hymenium, but it is smaller and always cup-shaped. Geopora sumneriana is another cup fungus that superficially resembles S. coronaria in its form and subterranean growth habit; however, the surface of its hymenium is cream-colored with ochraceous tinges, and its outer surface is covered with brown hairs. Geopora sepulta may also be included as a potential lookalike to S. coronaria, as it is macroscopically indistinguishable from G. sumneriana.
caption: Young fruit bodies resemble truffles
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